Math: 3D Shapes Who Am I Activity

I found this lesson in a great book,  Math and Nonfiction by Jamee Petersen.  On the first day of introducing the lesson, we read the book Cubes, Cones Cylinders and Spheres by Tana Hoban.  We talked about the examples in the book and all the other places we see these shapes in our own lives.  I gave them each a paper lunch bag with the homework instructions typed onto it.

On the following morning as the students arrived, I wrote a note on the chalkboard asking students to put their bags at their seats, but not to share the contents with anyone.  I had extra bags for students who did not bring any items.

At the beginning of the lesson, I read the clues for the items in my own bag to model I expected of them for this lesson.  They had fun trying to guess the items in my bag. After setting some criteria and talking about what their clues had to include, I sent them off to write their own clues.

This is M's first clue and item.  He focused on the tennis balls inside the container.

I am fuzzy and I am green.  You can hit me.  I love aces.

What shape am I?  What am I?

I am black.  You can keep balls inside me.  I am clear.   I have

a flat face.  What shape am I?  What am I?

I chose this example because this student is a reluctant writer and to see him write this much on his own and take this risk made me so happy.  

 I have 9 spaces on the outside.  And it have a lot of colours on it.  What shape am I. 

 And it have 6 faces too.

I love this one because I love bugles.  Yummy. The kids had a hard time with this one, but mostly because I don't think they eat them that often.

 I am a toy that can transform.  I am like a ball.  I have o faces.

 I am something that is a circle.  Some people put water in me.

I am from the house center.  What am I?

I have a circle on my top and a point on my bottom.  I have been used

to hold ice cream and taste delicious.  What am I?

At the end of the lesson, we formed a sharing lesson.  Each person chose their favourite clue and item and shared it with the class.  The class then had to guess the object.  They liked this so much that they didn't want it to end.  So then we broke into smaller groups and gave students the opportunity to share another one of their clues.